The Gossip
by CinnamonK
Summary: Old Man Hale suddenly was being overly nice. He did things like asking Stiles if he needing anything or how he was feeling. The rest of the Hales apparently had a peeked interest in Stiles as well. For the most part it was nice, sometimes creepy, attention, but Laura just wanted him dead. She kept aggravating a one very sourpuss of a new neighbor and tossing him Stiles' way.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I picked out Rupret as Stiles first name becuase I honestly think its adorable and a bit cringe worthy.

As always if I've made any mistakes kindly point them out to me! Thanks!

**Chapter One**

The fence was just _daring_ Stiles, looking him in the eye and_ smirking_, with its new white paint probably still drying, and Stiles was up for the challenge. He turned ole Blue around, giving her a little pep talk and went for it.

Which was _stupid_. Because Blue was getting up there age wise.

Thank the lords. Blue's front hooves smacked dirt with an audible clap, with the rear following after safely onto crisp spring grass.

Stiles let a shaky laugh leave him, fist pumping the air a couple of times. Take that fence.

He was making weird bring it gestures to the fence when he spotted old man Hale walking his way. His cheeks reddened, not only was that embarrassing to have him witness it made Stiles stomach drop, old man Hale was going to kill him. The adrenaline of victory turned sour. They had an understanding but maybe now that they had a fence up Stiles wasn't allowed to cut through on Sir Hale's property. Not that old man Hale wasn't a good nice and untimely a smiley fellow , he was just scary, to about everyone else.

He had this thing about his property, the Hale's property was extremely off limits to anyone. Sometimes Stiles let the gossip get to him, today in town a group of snickering boys told Stiles that the new fence wasn't put up to keep things out but to keep people in. Which was quite honestly ridiculous seeing as the fence was maybe four feet tall.

Stiles was only allowed through on certain days, Sir Hale had been very stern about when he could pass. He mentally tallied up the days to make sure he wasn't on a nono day, but of course he wasn't because Stiles was scared shitless to defy Sir Hale or really he was scared of Madam Hale but he wasn't going to admit that aloud to anyone. She was very scary though. Stiles looked over the fence to make sure everything was intact.

Blue must've smelled the carrots or something because without warning she was galloping to meet old man Hale not letting Stiles man up and grow a pair, which he was thankful for because he'd probably would have let Sir Hale walk all the way through the field to him, which would have been extremely rude.

It was just that none of the Hale's were ever out when Stiles cut through, it wasn't like he trotted right by their house windows or anything, so they never saw him and he never saw them, not even old man Hale, and Stiles even liked him.

Blue plopped her head onto old man Hale's shoulder, and Stiles inwardly and outwardly winced, Blue was a…special horse, but Sir Hale just smiled and patted her lightly until she nuzzled the carrots out of his hand. Sir Hale waited until Stiles was on the ground to say anything, Stiles rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"I was hoping I could catch you on your way home."

"Ah yes," Stiles mumbled because really, what is he supposed to say? 'Here am I!'?

"I saw you jumping the fence." Sir Hale gave him a stern look, and Stiles had to repress his flight urges, because if it came down to it Sir Hale no matter being a little over 50 could easily snap Stiles like a wish bone.

"There is a second gate a little down further, we wouldn't want to hurt Blue nor you Rupert. Try to think beforehand." Stiles _did not_ wince when Sir Hale caught eye contact and matched his stern voice with a stern eye repercussion. " Blue is getting quite old, even if he is still strong enough through the days don't push him alright son?"

"Yes Sir." Stiles wasn't just saying it, old man Hale had made him feel guilty, not only was he looking out for Stiles he was looking out for Blue, and he was right, Stiles loved Blue and wanted to keep her alive as long as he could. As he thought it over old man Hale had just gave him permission to keep cutting through right.

"Am I allowed to keep passing through, Sir?" Stiles willed the world to please allow it. Cutting through the Hales property after work made him home fifteen minutes earlier than using the road, enough time to start dinner for his dad among other things, in the end the fifteen minutes were worth a lot.

Sir Hale turned away from for a good minute as if anticipating the next figure to come walking over the hill, walking quite fast actually. Stiles didn't recognize the man but he didn't look particularly happy.

Not too far away now Sir Hale cut the man off when he obviously opened his mouth to say something. Which honestly was the guys fault _**because he was on Old man Hale's property**_. Stiles sent the man a silent prayer.

"Rupert, I'd like to introduce you to my son, Derek Hale." Sir Hale motioned towards the man who was now right in view and apparently trying to glare Stiles off the property. "Derek, This is Rupert Stillinski, the Sheriff's son." Stiles wanted to beat himself against Blue. Old man Hale was probably the only person left in Beacon Hills to call him Rupert besides his father when he was strict. Not only was it embarrassing but being introduced as the Sheriff's son never really earned you any points.

"Please, call me Stiles." He tried to make it sound causal as he held out his hand, but it came out a bit more pleading than he'd like. Old man Hale just smiled amused, Derek on the other hand just stared at Stiles hand like it had offended him, but he enfolded his hand into Stiles for a very brief handshake after Sir Hale gave Derek a look, that Stiles obviously saw but pretended otherwise.

He thought that was all but both Hale's where standing there looking at him. He looked at old man Hale to see if he had anything further to say but he did not, but it also felt like he wanted Stiles to say something. He turned towards Derek who still was trying to force Stiles in the ground with his piecing blue-green eyes.

"So..I haven't ever seen you around?"

Derek blinked a bit surprised like he wasn't expecting Stiles to talk, but what else was he was supposed to do! Derek had just been standing there menacing at him and old man Hale just looked gleeful , hand still on Blue. It would have been quite rude of Stiles to just hopped upon Blue and rode off, not that he didn't think about doing so. Talking just seemed like the only solution.

"Derek was in New York for some studies, he'd just arrived home this week. He was quite sick as a child so none of you boys would have seen him when ya'll were younger."

Stiles repressed the urge to roll his eyes. All the Hales were sick as kids or some other excuse to never leave their property.

It was pretty amazing that Derek had gone to New York for school, the Hale's where really stacked but they never really flaunted it like the Whitmore's. Derek kind of did though, he was wearing a very nicely tailored leather jacket with a ridiculous number of silver buttons. Stiles tried not to feel insecure but suddenly his riding pants felt tighter than the normally do. Which honestly they're always tight seeing as he hasn't bought new ones since he was 15 so he could use his hard earned nickels for some other essentials.

Stiles didn't say anything more and Derek hadn't said anything to begin with but Sir Hale didn't seem to mind at all, actually Stiles was a bit taken aback when he smiled brightly at him.

"As to your earlier question of course you can still cut through, we are ever indebted to your mother Rupert, and if a little shortcut through thru pasture is what makes you happy then I'm happy."

Old man Hale was really taking Stiles aback, sure Stiles had assumed that the only reason the Hale's tolerated him was because of his mother, but they never said it _out loud,_ and for heaven's sake they never said happy and his name in the same sentence or anything, _and they never beamed at him._

Stiles _might have_ taken a step backwards when Sir Hale's hand moved from Blue to his Stiles' arm. Sir Hale was still beaming at him though! Stiles body was having fits over deciding to giggle or run at this new found expression of his.

Placing his other hand on Derek who even more shockingly had red patches crawling over his jaw, which could not be blush it just couldn't, Sir Hale said, "And as I said before we have a gate a little farther down that you can use, because we don't want any more fence jumping alright, so I'm sure Derek will be willing to show you how to get there."

They gawked at him. Both of the Hales were having an eyebrow/eyes only conversation, and Stiles really didn't want to force anyone into anything if they didn't want to. It especially embarrassing and offending to see Derek's pleading face, begging his father otherwise.

"No that's alright, Sir Hale, ya'll have been already so welcoming, I'm sure it can't be that hard to find, thank you." Stiles clenched his jaw and the reins and tugged Blue towards where Sir Hale had pointed earlier. He was going to leave with his pride intact but then Derek spoke up.

"No, I should take you, it's fine." He said in defeat his voice gravelly. Stiles looked over his shoulder to see Derek walking towards him looking off to the side, blush still rosing his cheeks.

Stiles desperately tried not to think of that, he quickly imagined what it would be like for Blue to just kneel over and die. Riding pants, especially too tight riding pants was not how you wanted to tell the community you were gay.

As if Derek knew Stiles was thinking strange things he looked over him with a slightly concerned look.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: No this is not America back in the day, it's a Alternate Universe that's a lot like the beginning of America with a few differences. It could help if you thought of it as young America but do not limit your imagination to that category! C:

**Chapter Two**

Stiles felt that he should say something, not that in this situation he should say something just in the normal urge of Stiles that he had to or he was going to blow. Derek was back to grimacing at everything upon the earth and not saying a word.

"What was New York like?"_ Goddammit_. Couldn't even stay quiet for a few minutes.

Derek perched his lips but didn't say anything, Stiles counted that as a win though because he wasn't trying to glare him away this time.

"I heard they're building places so high that you would immediately die if you fell off! Well granted that can happen with any size or shape of building with certain circumstances but still! Massive!"

Derek didn't say anything for a good few moments so Stiles went back to noticing every leave upon all the trees trying to repress his urge to just keep talking.

"They're called skyscrapers." Derek grumbled.

"What?" Stiles neck swiveling around so fast he had to close his eyes and grimace for a moment.

"Skyscrapers." Derek said seeming that if he was ever asked to repeat himself he would only replay a one worded message.

"Mm yeah skyscrapers." Stiles nodded in reply.

The conversation wasn't going particularly well but it wasn't going bad either.

Stiles was suddenly nervous as the sun left orange stripes in the sky and the fog came rushing through the woods they had crossed into. He'd never been in this part of the property.

"Gate." Derek said nodding his head to the side.

"Why does the gate open up into the woods? That makes no sense." Looking behind him Stiles could still see parts of the field, he liked it better out there, less spooky.

Derek rolled his eyes at him, "Nothing is going to eat you Rupert."

"_Do not_ call me Rupert."

Stiles winced as the words left his mouth stronger than he intended, but he did give the guy fair warning.

"What kind of name is Stiles." Derek countered.

"The kind of name that you will call me by," Stiles replied returning the glare. Fine if Derek didn't want to be friends then that was A-Okay, but the guy could at least have some manners. He wasn't going to let the new guy in town push him around even if he was scared of him.

Apparently Derek got that and Stiles tried not to preen when sourpuss just frowned at him then walked away.

Stiles was grateful to be alone so he could ride instead of walk, he was exhausted. Due to this exhaustion slowing Stiles' brain to turmoil he didn't realize he didn't know how to get home until he was a few minutes into the forest. He could still see part of the field here and there but it wasn't much to go by, he was basically just hoping Blue new what she was doing.

It was completely dark now and he knew it shouldn't have taken him this long to get home. He was alone in the dark in an unfamiliar dangerous place and knew he was lost. Lost and scared shitless. The woods made monsters real at night. This area especially known for the number of wolves. He was alone and going to get him and Blue killed with his stupidity. Who was going to make sure his father would eat right? Talk Scott out of bad ideas? Tell Lydia how especially beautiful she looked in her new dresses?

The panic attack had started when he an owl had scared him with a hoot and it just had escalated from there. He was fighting what he hoped was not a losing battle, Scott or his Dad was always around to talk him out of it, it was his first time trying to put air back into his own lungs. Lungs that were burning and contracting with uneven spasms trying to grasp air.

Blue whined loudly and Stiles tried to concentrate on that, the huffs coming out of her nose were uneven though. He was doing slightly better when he heard an howl and then the anxiety was relentless. He hadn't even noticed Derek's presence until he was tugging at him, his lips moving like he was talking, Stiles couldn't tell what he was saying. He probably was mad, he looked mad.

"Stiles!" Derek had successfully pulled Stiles off Blue like he was a child.

"Stiles." He repeated. Definitely mad.

He didn't know when he started shaking his head but he was until Derek firmly grasped his jaw, "That's not helping," he hissed.

Stiles made effort to glare at him in between wheezes, the guy isn't allowed to be hissy about Stiles having a panic attack. He was starting to black out, lolling around, he couldn't even tell blackness from the night or from his panic attack, it was all just black.

"Breath," he said softer.

Oh good jolly because he hadn't come up with that one!

Derek pushed his thumb harder under Stiles' jaw.

"My house is less than a 20 yards away, your house is farther to the left not too much longer. .Down."

That was calming news and embarrassing seeing as close he gotten to the Hale's mansion.

Blue whined again and Stiles was feeling better enough to ground out, "You're."

Derek's eyebrow lifted and he looked marginally less angry until Stiles followed up with, "Ass." Completely bypassing the word 'an' because that took too much effort.

"Is wonderful, so I've heard." He replied with a casual face as if he hadn't just stated the wonders of his _actual _ass.

Stiles face contorted into what he was willing to be a 'not amused' face now that his breathing was coming together in a steadier pace, but apparently it was a very amusing because Derek actually chuckled at him. Breath ghosting his face as he watched Derek's eyes crinkle and his teeth shine. Yeah it had stopped what little air he was getting, but it was from _shock_, nothing more.

"_Stiles_," he said serious again after Stiles' breath had an audible hitch.

"Derek," he hissed back a few moments later.

"Come by any wolves, little virgin?" Motioning to Stiles' red tunic, grinning cockily like it was the best damned joke ever, "How about I help you to grandma's house."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for how short it is! More coming up very soon!

PLEASE COMMENT: Tell me what you think is going on! **I want to know all your lovely guesses! **

**Chapter Three**

Stiles' life was getting increasingly worse, from meeting old man Hale's son to getting lost. Then letting old man Hale's son witness him having a panic attack to being escorted home by said son and getting chewed out by his father. Of course work the following morning.

Stiles did not go through the forest, even if the alternative was more time consuming. Light or no light he was going to pass thru the field then follow the fence to the gate. For several reasons, one being there was no path to follow in the forest, another being that the woods held many dangers, like the Hale house.

The day was looking up when a bored Lydia stopped by the shop, though she'd never admit it was clear that she enjoyed Stiles' company. They were discussing the faults of Shakespeare when the unbelievable happened.

Laura Hale. The Laura Hale, popped in the shop like it was something she did every day, smiling and passing good mornings off like candy, surprisingly knowing everyone's name. Even more surprisingly knowing Stiles'.

"Good Moring Stiles." She said coyly, not even hiding her inspecting eyes travel down him and back up.

"Good Morning." Stiles managed to squeak after a perfectly sculpted eyebrow was raised at him from across the counter, Laura Hale was a piece of plywood away, Laura Hale. The Laura Hale.

Upon making him very uncomfortable and letting him know it made her pleased she turned her eyes on Lydia who was still leaning over the counter touching Stiles' arm. Laura raised an eyebrow at that too and in return Lydia began lazily gliding her thumb over the inside of Stiles' forearm.

Now Stiles' wasn't a hundred percent sure but he was quite certain that this was the lady version of penis measuring. The idea of the game was either 'Who can get the most attention' which seemed the most realistic or 'Who can make him more uncomfortable' which is what it felt like. They were both succeeding at the latter, eye contact between them was unbreakable. It was flattering that the two most beautiful ladies in town deemed him a pawn in their little pissing contest . Thank the lords he grew up tall because for a while that was all he had going for him but Lydia assured him that he finally was looking quite attractive. Finally and quite being both actual words she used, offending Stiles and then pampering him, Lydia didn't call just_ anyone_ quite attractive. But he was quite certain this situation was only by coincidence and not over the woes of his face. Lydia being caught in the act of manhandling him in heated controversy but being perceived as her making the moves then the other pretty dame wanted to make sure that the younger knew she was queen of all vise a versa. And it was bordering creepy.

"Um, uh what can I get you?" Stiles willed her to look at him because if Finstock got word of a catfight happening slightly because of him he'd lose his job. He needed his job.

Laura lazily tore her eyes from Lydia's face melting into a softer tone as she braced herself on the counter closer to Stiles, "I'll be around town is all. Until you get off that is, what time is that?"

Laura Hale did not just ask him what time he got off work.

Stiles looked over to Isaac who was stacking inventory to the left but definitely listening in catching his eye Isaac made a comically wide-eyed shrug. Laura smiled at him in the act.

"Hello Isaac." She cooed.

"Hey Laura," Isaac blushed.

He blushed at everyone though, so it was continuously hard to tell if all the blushing was from shyness or for other reasons due to the person. Though Isaac shouldn't blush just due to talking to Laura, he lived with her for petes sake.

"He gets off half past five." Lydia pipes up, looking peeved.

"I'll see you then." Laura states not even looking at Lydia, eyes promising and lips pulled back.

"Why?" Stiles pursues without meaning too, thick confusion and shock poured into a single word.

Laura, seemed to enjoy it very much; her reaction being a genuine grin full of teeth and glittering eyes.

The real Laura Hale, one and only, reaches over and caresses his face and says; "So we can go home together, of course." Her hand lightly dragging down his face then exiting with in a quick turn and then out the door.

No customers lined up and all Stiles' does is look out the storefront where Laura's back had receded moments before.

"What the hell just happened?" He finally asks eyes searching between a huffing Lydia and Isaac.

Because really; what the fuck just happened?


End file.
